The Russian army has accelerated its advance into Ukrainian territory for the third consecutive month, seizing 588 square kilometers in June alone, according to data from the Institute for the Study of War (IWW), published by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
In May, Russian troops seized 507 square kilometers, in April - 379, and in March - 240 square kilometers. They slowed down in the winter.
Two-thirds of Russian attacks in the past month have been concentrated in the Donetsk region, the main focus of clashes between Russians and Ukrainians for the past two years. The Russian army controls three-quarters of this region in whole or in part, compared with 61% a year ago at the same time. About 31% of this region was already under the control of pro-Russian separatists before the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
Over the past year, the Russian army has made unprecedented advances in other regions, covering almost 200 square kilometers. On June 8, the Russian army announced an attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which was the first since the start of the war. Currently, Russian successes in this region amount to just 8 square kilometers. For its part, Ukraine denies that Moscow's forces have broken through into the Dnipropetrovsk region, AFP notes.
The Russians have also strengthened their control in the Sumy region in northern Ukraine. Moscow's troops were absent from this area in the early months of the war, as they were redirected to the eastern front. However, in the spring of 2025, they invaded Sumy region again, and since the beginning of the year the Russian army has regained control over almost 320 square kilometers. In the past month alone, Russia has seized 130 square kilometers there. As of the end of June, Russia exercises full or partial control over almost 19% of Ukraine's territory.